O’Fallon Brewery – 5 Day IPA

Justin:

Aroma - There's quite a bit of caramel and bread crust from the malts that come out first. Once those aromas step aside, spicy and resinous hops come through strong. There's a brief whiff of citrus (tangerine) but it's not a primary player.

Score: 9/12

Appearance - The beer pours a medium gold with a dense, cream colored head made up of small tight bubbles. It nearly looks like a nitro beer's head. The foam never, ever, ever, ever leaves.

Score: 3/3

Flavor - The caramel and bread crust again are the biggest players in this one. Don't get me wrong, there's the hop bitterness you need in an IPA and the hops are spicy, floral (which I didn't get on the nose) and slightly citrusy. The resin went away and floral hops showed up but other than that, it tasted like it smelled. Overall, the balance is leaning toward the malt. This one finished semi-dry.

Score: 15/20

Mouthfeel - The body is medium and the carbonation is a medium+ for a bright mouthfeel that cleans your palate.

Score: 3/5

Overall Impression - This beer has a special place in my heart. It's the beer that got me into craft beer. It was the first IPA that I remember drinking and it blew my mind. I was addicted to hops and started brewing beer shortly thereafter to satisfy my hop cravings. It doesn't blow my mind anymore because I'm jaded and whatnot, but I still drink this beer from time to time because it's delicious. It is definitely a malty version of an IPA which may help some hop newbs ease into the style.

Score: 7/10

Blake:

Aroma - Very malt forward with lots of caramel and bread crust. The hops are more of an herbal and floral variety with a bit of pine and resin. There isn't a lot of tropical fruits that are currently found in many IPAs.

Score: 9/12

Appearance - Deep gold with a very slight haze to it, but a very tight, firm, white head.

Score: 3/3

Flavor - The balance is very much on the malt side of things, with a bit of biscuit and caramel. The hops are floral in nature, and mostly bitter in nature. I do get a very simple citrus note that almost comes across as lemon zest.

Score: 15/20

Mouthfeel - On the lower side of medium with the body and on the high side of medium with the carbonation, good mouthfeel, but not outstanding.

Score: 3/5

Overall Impression - This is a great example of how things change over time. At one point in time I thought of 5-Day IPA as a very hoppy beer. Now a lot of beers are so hop heavy that this one seems like a malt bomb. It's still a good beer, but the limits and boundaries of this style are being pushed all the time. I'd never turn one down because it's still a very good beer, it's just starting to show its age a bit. It drinks more like a regular pale ale than an IPA, but it's always a good one to have around, especially if you want to ease someone into the style.

Score: 7/10

5 Day IPA Final Score

Aroma

Appearance

Flavor

Mouthfeel

Overall

3.7

User Rating: 0.0(4 votes)

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Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.